The Trip of a Lifetime
by Storytellermama
Summary: Spoilers for Homecoming.  This is my take on Future Clark and Lois's dinner date after the events of the day.  What did Future Clark think of the meeting, and will he tell Lois what really happened that day?  Please r/r!


_**A/N: I loved the future Clois scenes and as soon as the episode ended I wondered what dinner was like for the "Future couple?" What did Clark think of meeting his younger self? Would Lois realize what had happened, or maybe Future Clark tell her after younger Clark had gone home? Just a one-shot for fun and to get this story out of my head and on paper! Enjoy! Reviews would be appreciated!**_

Somehow he had arrived at the restaurant before Lois. He was usually the late one, but she never once complained. He took his seat at the table ordering a drink while he waited for Lois to get there. He had almost forgotten about the dinner date but as the date of future trip had drawn near, he remembered Lois telling him not to be late after he saved the helicopter from crashing.

As he waited his thoughts turned to the events of that very afternoon. When he'd gotten to experience his time travel adventure from this side of time. Seven years later. He had stood patiently in the elevator waiting off to the side so Lois wouldn't see him while she sent his younger self off in the direction of the elevator.

"_And if you need me, I'm there. No deadline is more important than you_." He smiled in appreciation. Those words still had such a profound effect on him, hearing it now, years after he'd heard it the first time.

To his younger self it had been unbelievable. That someone would be so supportive of him, other than his parents. He knew now that one of the other doubts he'd had about his future, was that he would end up alone. That this was the life he was meant to live and he would have friends but not real love. Seeing Lois today had given him renewed hope and he was relieved to know that he would win her back.

The elevator doors had shut and he had stepped forward to reveal himself. It had been very odd staring across the elevator and seeing himself. Not at all like looking in the mirror. That he was used to. He hadn't looked like this for years.

Clark could remember this moment clearly from his younger self's viewpoint. Remembering his disbelief of seeing his future self in the suit, trenchcoat, hair slicked back and the glasses. The ugly glasses. He'd been pleasantly surprised by future Lois. But himself? He couldn't help but feel disappointed. A nerd? Really? That's what he was destined to look like? _Seeing himself as Superman_. Now that was something else entirely. He hadn't originally understood all of Lois' wild hand gesturings mimicking glasses until that moment in the elevator and moments later in full Superman glory. Flying around in broad day light, no masks, no hiding his face. The _glasses_ were his mask. No wonder Lois had been so insistent.

Today though he had glanced at his younger self in surprise, but masked it quickly. Not much could unnerve him these days, but looking at himself was unsettling. Had he always been that cocky? Or was it just a different view behind his glasses? He wished he'd had more time to talk to younger Clark, to tell him why he made the choices he had, but too much interference and he'd change too much of what had become his present life. It was enough to know that the brief conversation he'd had with himself and the slightly longer time he spent with Lois, his current Lois, the end result would be that he would finally make the forward movement he needed to become Superman in 2011.

Racing around the corner at her usual pace, Lois stepped around the table only to stop and smiled her special smile that she reserved only for him, when he hopped up and pulled the chair out for her to sit across from him.

"Is everything alright Lois?"

"Hm?" She looked up from the menu she'd been perusing. "Oh! You mean why was I late? I should have called your cell to find out where you were but I was starting to worry about how you were acting today and so I thought I'd stop by the farm to see if you'd found the ring. You weren't there so I came straight here. I actually thought you might get pulled away for a," she glanced around and then mouthed "_save_" and then continued her sentence. "So I thought I might actually make it before you and still had some time to kill."

Smiling he looked at Lois. He couldn't believe she was his. They'd finally tied the knot three years earlier, Lois keeping her maiden name at his insistence. Lois Lane was who he'd fallen in love with and she's made quite a name for herself in the industry. He knew better than anyone that a name didn't define you. It was what you did in the moment. He's gone by many names over the year: Clark, Kal-El, Red Blue Blur, just Blur and finally Superman. But his favorite, he wouldn't admit to anyone. Smallville. He certainly was lucky and his experiences today reminded him of it. He'd almost lost all of this, being Superman, his life with Lois, his entire purpose back when he was allowing doubts and haunted memories to consume his life.

"So did you find it?"

He looked at Lois in confusion. "Find what Lois?"

She gave him that look. The look where she was thinking he was being 'pensive' as she would call it. The look she'd given him constantly when she first found out his secret but hadn't told him and each and every time she would look at him like that it would bother him to continue to lie to her.

"_The ring_?" She emphasized the words. "You know, Legion ring?"

Oh…that. "Um, turns out I didn't really need it after all." She gave him that look again. Then nodded abruptly and returned her glance at the menu. _Uh oh_. She was going to ignore it and then bring it up again, when he least expected it. She wouldn't be the award winning report she was, if she gave up quite so easily when something piqued her interest.

"Lois?" he reached across the table and put his hand out, palm up. She placed her hand in his and gave him a gentle smile. "I love you. More than ever, and I would be lost without you. You know that right?" Her eyes lit up and she smiled at him in such happiness.

"I love you too." He'd learned long ago Lois needed to hear what he was feeling and thinking. He tended to brood and keep things internal but when he shared his love with Lois it was part of the security she needed, that she craved really. Having a rocky upbringing she tended to put up walls to protect herself. All she needed was a place to belong. Over the years she finally stopped doubting herself and thinking she wasn't enough for him. He made sure she knew it was _he_ that wasn't worthy of her and not the other way around. But he still told her he loved her each and every day. Because he did and he needed to tell her, not just for her but for him. He knew better than anyone that life was precious and you needed to live in the moment. He really would be lost with out her. She was his most ardent champion. She had been there for him, through tough times and good times. She knew all his weaknesses and strengths.

He turned his head and his senses went on full alert as he heard a cry for help.

"_Lois_." She pulled her hand away gently and waved him away with a knowing look.

"It's okay honey. I'll order something for you. You go and take that important phone call." With a wink she opened her menu back up and tried to figure out what to get for the both of them. He stood up quickly, kissed the top of her head and took off towards the front of the restaurant.

"_Go save the day baby_." As he walked away she whispered the words only soft enough that he could hear her. She knew him too well. Even though she'd given him the go ahead he couldn't stop checking up on her.

They stepped out of the restaurant and opted to walk for a while in the nice summer air before heading back the farm for the night. He reached for her hand and they strolled idly towards their destination and then Clark would fly them the rest of the way home when the coast was clear. They only did that in the summer air. Clark didn't get sick but Lois sure could and he didn't want to expose her to the winter air at the speeds he could go. He'd made that mistake once and she'd been terribly sick for a whole week. A week he'd been sick with guilt. She kept telling him it was her fault, she'd begged him to fly her around that night. He'd said no originally. She'd pleaded with him and he could deny her nothing. She loved when he took her flying with him. She knew better than to argue with him about it now though.

"I'm glad to see you remembered your glasses this evening. What was going on with your hair today anyway? I haven't seen it like that out in public in years. Don't get me wrong," she squeezed his hand and gave him a coy look, "I love you no matter how you look Smallville. But someone could have seen you."

No point in keeping it to himself any longer. He'd only kept it to himself earlier because he didn't want to interfere with the way things would play out with her and his past self. But first he wanted to tell her something else.

"Lois, before I fill you in on that I just wanted to clarify something. You know I hate these," he gestured toward his glasses, "and it was my idea to dress like this as my alter ego when I fully embraced becoming Superman, but the original idea for the glasses was your suggestion. And an incredibly clever one at that."

She stopped walking abruptly and leaned towards his eyes once more. "I knew it! You are on some kind of mind trip or kryptonite or _something._ I never saw the glasses on you until you put them on for me on your own. I had nothing to do with it."

He held back a laugh. He loved her so much. She was so protective of him and yet so _Lois_. "Not in this universe." He loved the way her eyes widened and it still amazed him after all she knew about him and his past adventures he could still surprise her. "I'll tell you the full story, another time of course, but it was your idea. I wouldn't forget something like that."

She nodded intently. "When you're in your right mind your memory is like a steel trap. Okay. I'll wait for that story when you're ready to tell it. But what about today?"

"What stuck out about my behavior for you today?"

She ticked each one off on a finger. "One, you kept saying you had to _go back_, get the legion ring and _go back_. Two, your hairstyle and clothes and you kept forgetting your glasses. Three, you looked at me like you hadn't seen me in years, I know it sounds strange but when you look at me so intently when we're alone, it just melts my heart, but the looks you were giving me today were just _different_. Four, you forgot we sit on the 8th floor in our own office. I could keep going but the biggest one was you not taking the opportunity to tease me about forgetting our anniversary, again. You always hold it over my head that you remember before I do. But today…zip."

They reached their final desitination for their walk and Clark looked around carefully and listened for anything out of place. All clear. He lifted Lois into his arms and then took off into the air. She clung to him easily and nuzzled his neck with her nose. She reached up and pulled his glasses off his face and held them dangling in her hand that was wrapped around his neck. When they reached the farm he set her down gently in the kitchen. They went up the stairs and began to get ready for bed. They had an early morning planned.

Clark tugged his tied loose and then pulled it over his head. "Do you remember the five year reunion for Smallville high?"

Lois kicked off her heels and took her blazer off. She began to unbutton her blouse. "Five year? Yeah, but I enjoyed the ten year one so much more. I got to flash my wedding ring to the mean old biddy at the punch bowl. By the way, I am serious when I tell you someone spiked it! I was not looking for something hard to drink that night."

Clark grinned remembering how tipsy Lois had gotten and how she kept insisting it was an "acid, accident! Someone is framing me!" She didn't drink anywhere near as much as she used to, so it didn't take much to get her tipsy. Someone had definitely spiked the punch. He could taste the alcohol in it, even if it didn't affect him. By the time he'd figured it out, Lois had already had her fair share of it.

"I know Lois honey. I believe you, really I do. But back to the five year. Do you remember how I disappeared?" She nodded, " I never told you exactly where I went."

He filled her in on the past, the present (at that time) including the part about Oliver, saying goodbye to his father and then his jump to today.

"I was concerned when I saw Greg approaching you. I grabbed the Legion ring and ended up in the future without Braniac as my guide so I didn't know where I was right away."

By this time they were settled in bed and Lois had laid her head on Clark's shoulder as Clark rubbed her arm. At this she sat up and turned to face him with a look of mild alarm.

"The Future. You mean here? This afternoon?" Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Clark! I thought it was _you_. You mean I kissed past Clark? _Oh my God!_" She covered her face in embarrassment. Clark gently pried her hands off her face.

"I'm _so_ sorry Smallville!"

"Lois, honey. Sorry for what? It _was_ me. Past me. But still _me._ You were what I needed to see." He gestured between the two of them. "I needed to see _us_, how great we were together. What being in love with you would mean to me. How I would become Superman and fly and become the hero I hoped would make my father proud."

Lois looked up at him and her she was very still. "Clark, that's the night you told me you loved me. Was that why? Because you had a sneak peek and knew how things would turn out and I wouldn't give up your secret?" He could see the hurt in her eyes. That he hadn't trusted her until he'd gotten the answers in advance. He pulled her close.

"Yes, it's the night I told you how I felt. But I had been in love with you for a while then and was scared to tell you. It wasn't about you keeping my secret Lois. It was about me protecting you. After seeing you safe, with me, I knew we'd be okay. We'd manage the secret part, but I needed to be honest with you from that day forward. Tell you how I felt. Then later I told you my secret. Which you already knew by the way. What I was surprised to find out though, was our future wasn't only about me protecting you. You protect me, each and everyday." She smiled up at him.

He kissed the top of her head. "I knew you could keep the secret and you would accept me the way I am. I never doubted that. You did it at least three times before that." A slow smile spread across his face as she pulled away again.

"Woah there buddy! Three times? Clark Kent, are we back to keeping secrets, because I swear…."

He stopped her with a kiss. "Full disclosure, another time. Goes hand in hand with the glasses story. I told you that's the night I flew too, but you don't know why either. We have plenty of time for stories of the past. I'm more interested in the present. Right now I plan on enjoying the rest the anniversary of our first I love you's with my beautiful wife. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you always…"

"And forever?" She smiled back and him and reached up to kiss him tenderly.

"And forever," he echoed pulling her closer.

_**The end!**_

_**Hope you liked it!**_


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